CAIRO — Egyptian pilots working for the national carrier staged a 10-hour sit-in protest on Thursday, delaying 22 flights in an effort to press their demands for management changes and bonus payments.
It was the second protest involving the Cairo International Airport this month.
Egypt has been hit by a wave of street rallies and strikes in the two years since a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak. The turmoil has fed growing economic and political woes, often leaving the country struggling to retain a semblance of normalcy.
An opposition youth movement is planning massive street protests later this month to demand the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
On Thursday, EgyptAir pilots came to work but hung out at the main terminal instead of taking their flights. The disrupted flights included both domestic and international.
Ahmed Younis, head of the pilots' association, said the protest ended after Civil Aviation Minister Wael el-Maadawi held talks with the protesters and agreed to meet their demands for changes in EgyptAir's top management and pay the bonuses proposed by the pilots.
On June 5, striking workers at the Cairo airport blocked airplanes on the tarmac at the hub's largest terminal. They occupied taxiing areas near runways, forcing passengers to board and disembark at the airport's other terminal.
The strikers were demanding better pay. The protest delayed the departure of seven flights and diverted passengers from three incoming international flights to another terminal.
